Sugar: I have done my fair share of sugar bashing on this blog, but here is the short version: overindulgence in sugar may cause hormone disregulation, GI distress (for people who are sensitive to fructose – AKA me), sugar depletes vitamins and offers a spare tire around your waist in their place (bum deal), sugar encourages inflammation in the body contributing directly to the top U.S. killers such as heart disease and cancer, excess fructose consumption inspires intestinal permeability potentially making autoimmune disease more likely. Sugar may even be more addictive than cocaine. See? Short and sweet (pun intended)!

On the Virgin diet, she encourages the use of natural non-nutritive sweeteners such as Stevia and Xylitol. I have tried numerous brands of Stevia and never developed a taste for it. Xylitol can work for some people in small doses, but it’s a FODMAP and not the best choice for someone such as meself. Not that any of this matters, because I won’t be using any sweeteteners at all in the new year as I attempt to recalibrate my tastes buds and get a handle on my sugar obsession.

2) Dairy

The why:

Dairy is the third most common food allergen. Lactose intolerance is very common, affecting up to 75% of the population. Drinking milk causes a large spike in blood insulin levels, potentially contributing to insulin resistance (the first step in Type II diabetes development). Milk contains various hormones which seem to have negative effects. One hormone called insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) has been linked to various cancers. Sex hormones in dairy contribute to the development of acne and infertility (low-fat milk products). Milk contains protease inhibitors which may contribute to the development of a leaky gut. Yikes! Dairy is worse than I remember the last time I vowed to forget and go eat cheese. 😉

As discussed in previous blog posts, eating gluten causes increased intestinal permeability directly by triggering the release of zonulin, a compound that loosens the tight junctions that keep shit in place (like my scientific description?) A leaky gut may lead to escaper particles that leech through and inspire an immune response and inflammation.

The how:

Gluten free options abound at most chain grocery stores. This will be my nth gluten-free adventure since becoming a guinea pig. The challenge this time around will be to find gluten-free products that are egg, dairy, soy, processed oil, & sugar-free. There are not going to be a lot of processed items to choose from with this list of criteria! Most products use one or all of these ingredients to buff up their structure. Here is one item I have tried in the past that will work for this diet: http://www.chebe.com/collections/dry-mixes/products/all-purpose-bread-mix-8-pack-case-7-5-oz-per-package. Other than the occasional outlier, I expect I will be eating mostly unprocessed options, such as quinoa, rice, and plain buckwheat noodles.

4) Eggs

The why:

Eggs are a common allergy/food sensitivity issue. Egg whites can be particularly problematic for those with allergies or autoimmune diseases. (I don’t have either, but I suspect a sensitivity based on previous experiments). Eggs have an unfavorable omega 6: omega 3 ratio which may encourage inflammation.

Soy may interfere with thyroid function (if iodine status is insufficient). Soy has an unfavorable omega 6: omega 3 ratio (inflammation). Soy has trypsin inhibitors, anti-nutrients that make soy protein difficult to digest and utilize. (Fermentation helps release more nutrients). Soy contains specific lectins (agglutinins) that are very resistant to degradation. These lectins encourage the growth of unfavorable gut microbes & can damage the gut lining.

The how:

Sub coconut milk for soy milk & coconut aminos for soy sauce.

6) Corn

The why:

Most corn (unless organic) is genetically modified. GMO crops are heavily sprayed with pesticides as they are specifically altered to withstand such exposure. Corn is also high glycemic.

The how:

Cutting out corn is easy…but only if you avoid processed foods. Then it’s damn near impossible, because it’s EVERYWHERE.

7) Peanuts

The why:

Peanuts are highly allergenic. They have an unfavorable fatty acid profile (inflammatory) and are often contaminated with carcinogenic mold toxins (aflatoxins). Peanuts, like soy, contain digestive-resistant agglutinins.

Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system and may interfere with circadian rhythms = not the best idea for a person with fibromyalgia whose nervous system and sleep patterns are already out of whack.

The how:

White-knuckle approach. I love the taste of coffee and the way it makes me feel (when it doesn’t make me feel like shit). I don’t like herbal teas enough to bother replacing coffee with anything else. Cold turkey starting today. 😦

2) Alcohol

The why:

Alcohol is a gastric irritant, feeds bad bugs in the intestines, causes leaky gut, and if consumed in excess (who has ever done that?!) causes inflammation.

The how:

I have a newfound love of hard cider these days. I wasn’t drinking much alcohol for a long time, and then I decided it would be nice to have something to sip on on a Friday night. I am not a fan of mixed drinks and was bored with taking shots alone while my friends drank beer (I hate beer). Hard cider was my solution. However, cider is really high in fructose, so I have been managing my subsequent stomach pains by taking peppermint pills. I may revisit dry berry ciders after awhile to see what I can get away with (no added sugar + lower fructose in berries vs apples). Also, drinking makes me sleep like a baby, and I am a fan of sleeping like a baby. For the time being, I will go back to drinking water at the bar.

Avoid processed foods. Use coconut, palm, and avocado oil for cooking (higher smoke points with more favorable fatty acid profiles). Use extra-virgin olive oil for salads (best not to cook with it as its lower smoke point means oxidation occurs at lower temperatures). Unfortunately, most olive oil that you buy in the grocery store is not 100% olive oil. Just another way the food industry gets to trick us:

I have been carefully dissecting my diet experiment ideas for the next year. Here’s what’s in store (so far) for 2015:

January –

Virgin (Plus) Diet – Based on this elimination diet: http://thevirgindiet.com/ with additional tweaks on my part. Don’t worry. I won’t be eating any virgins. In short, I will be removing the foods that I suspect will make the biggest difference in my pain levels based on foods that are the most common irritants and/or inflammatory:

1) Sugar/sugar substitutes (Virgin)

2) Corn (Virgin)

3) Gluten (Virgin)

4) Dairy (Virgin)

5) Peanuts (Virgin)

6) Caffeine (Plus)

7) Alcohol (Plus)

8) Processed Oils (Plus)

9) Soy (Virgin)

10) Eggs (Virgin)

After feeling better on the Perfect Health diet, I mentioned in my previous post that I hoped to stick with it for awhile. I stuck with it for a whopping 2 extra days until I got one of my awful neck migraines and thought “To hell with it!” The next day I walked to the grocery store to buy Rice Chex & vanilla soy milk for breakfast. For whatever reason, that’s what I wanted to eat to reintegrate back into my most recent “I’ll eat whatever I want!” phase.

Sooo it’s back to square one. On the plus side, my sinuses are relatively normal these days. They rarely flare up the way they used to even when I eat high histamine foods (which seemed to have been an issue in the past). I have no idea what I did/didn’t do to fix ’em, but it has greatly improved my quality of life. Feeling like you can’t breathe is a very unpleasant feeling. At least there’s SOME lasting progress to show for all of my efforts.

I had to stop taking my antimicrobials as they were not agreeing with my digestive system. Add it to the pile of failed experiments I guess. <Sigh>

One thing that is nice about my Virgin Plus diet approach is that it is far less restrictive than a traditional Paleo diet. In January, my ally is going to be following the VERY restrictive Paleo Autoimmune Protocol per her doctor’s recommendations now that she’s been diagnosed with Celiac’s disease. I told her that I didn’t have it in me to go through that very restrictive diet again anytime soon (see April ’14 archives for my experience). However, I will be with her in spirit in the name of deprivation by following my Virgin Plus diet (which isn’t crazy restrictive for an elimination diet veteran such as myself…but not a whole lot of fun either!) I intend to use this altered approach to assess whether a long-term Paleo template is necessary to feel better. If I notice improvement by simply removing the most potent irritants, I will have a better idea of what I’m dealing with. Perhaps the improvements I noticed while following the Perfect Health Diet can be realized with less effort and deprivation (I hope).

Here’s why I don’t expect I’ll ever be successful following a long term Paleo diet unless I absolutely HAVE TO:

1) I love BEANS!

2) I am addicted to sugar.

3) I am fussy about the meat that I eat. Most of the time I prefer vegetarian options when I go out to eat, because non-factory meat is hard to come by. I try to avoid factory meat as much as possible for my health, the taste, and my conscience. High quality meat is more likely to be out of stock when I shop for it and gets really expensive!

4) I am lazy. Making EVERYTHING from scratch is work and can be a real bore.

5) I get sick of meat for breakfast, meat for lunch, and meat for dinner. Bluck.

6) Following a low FODMAP Paleo diet is even more depressing. Having to limit/exclude many fruits & veggies, most sweeteners, all legumes, all dairy, AND all grains tests your limits pretty fast!

Beyond January I have but one grand plan for the rest of the year: no added sugars/artificial sweeteners at all in the year 2015. Am I crazy? Probably. I feel that cutting out my vice for an entire year will lead me to some interesting lessons. Think Lent…all year long. I have given up sugar for months in a row before and felt pretty great (minus the emotional deprivation). BUT I always allow it to sneak back into my life. I get all cocky about how I can just “treat” myself on occassion from then on since I had officially conquered the sugar demons. Ha! Like a smoker who has quit 10 times in the past and has warped ideas about their new perceived superabilities to suddenly teach their brain moderation, the addicition is reawakend quickly. It gets ugly fast.

I am hoping to recalibrate my taste buds. Learn to drink black coffee (after January) like a grown-up. Stop obsessing over dessert. Be more mindful of my food choices (which happens by default when you cut something out that is as pervasive as sugar). As far as restaurant options go, I’m going to do the best I can. Do research ahead of time when possible, and use my hyperaware noggin when I am unsure (for example, avoiding salad dressings even if they aren’t sweet as sugar is likely hiding in there). It’ll be oil & vinegar for me. Even if I get an accidental gram of sugar here or there, the overall goal will be achieved when I skip the dessert!

Today marks 30 days since starting the Perfect Health Diet. As usual, I have had mixed results with this diet experiment. However, contrary to the disappointment I generally feel after completing my experiments, this has been one of the most successful trials yet!

Here is a summary of my experiences:

-I have had significantly less body pain. When I do have pain flares, they last for shorter periods of time!

-I feel less fatigued overall.

-My sleep has been wonky, but even so, it doesn’t seem to interfere with feeling rested the next day. I fall asleep just fine but rarely sleep through the night anymore. I tend to wake up in the middle of the night, generally 4-6 hours later. During my second attempt at sleep after I wake from these shorter chunks, I toss and turn a lot (or at least feel that strange sensation of being half awake, half asleep) and have better dream recollection when I wake. How could I get less sleep and feel more rested? I suspect my sleep QUALITY has improved. As is the case in most areas of life, quality trumps quantity in terms of sleep’s rejuvenating effects. This is why a lot of people with fibromyaliga can sleep for 9-12 hours and still feel exhausted upon waking. One of the defining characteristics of the condition is the dysregulation of sleep cycles. The brain of a person with fibromyalgia wires us in such a way that it’s harder for us to reach the delta (slow wave) portion of our sleep cycles, the section of sleep where the most repair and restoration is done.

Along with changing my diet which removed a lot of irritating & inflammatory foods, I tried a few sleep hacks along the way recommended by various Paleo gurus. I purchased a pair of amber tinted glasses to wear an hour or two before heading to bed. Research has shown that wearing blue-blocking specks a few hours before attempting slumber significantly improves sleep quality. The mechanism behind this phenomenon is that blue light interferes with melatonin (sleep hormone) production. Because we live in modern times and it’s normal to sit in front a computer screen that blasts you with artificial light in the evening hours, many folks have trouble convincing their bodies that sleep is on the way. Wearing amber tinted glasses is one way to get your eyes on board with winding down. I have been wearing a sleep mask for the past few years and LOVE it. However, I recently learned that your skin can sense light as well. So even if your eyes are covered, the light that touches your skin can slow down melatonin production. My bedroom is on the second floor and has 2 higher windows where the street lights like to pour in. So, I finally purchased some black-out curtains for my bedroom. I also covered the light of the carbon monoxide detector with masking tape to eliminate its green glow. As a result, my skin gets to sleep in the dark as well as my eyes. My body seems to be able to tell the difference, because I’ve been sleeping more soundly (or at least feel that way upon waking) ever since!

–My intestines went through some adjustments. At the very beginning, I had a difficult time digesting lean meats. I started to take Betaine HCL with pepsin and noticed an improvement right away. After a period of taking it, my digestion went nuts. I am no stranger to bloating, but this felt like an alien was going to pop out of my stomach at any given moment. Not a good feeling. In exchange for reduced body pain, my stomach decided to be bloated at all hours of the day with painful distension to boot. (It’s as if my nerves like to take turns assaulting various locations. “No, no intestines I insist, it’s your turn!” exclaimed the debilitating neck pain. “Why don’t you give her some stabbing abdominal pain for awhile? You know, mix it up a bit.” I never knew that nervous systems were such sadists!) I was in the midst of experimenting with a few different supplements and wasn’t sure what the culprit was, so I stopped taking all supplements for a few days until my tummy calmed down. I still don’t know exactly what the deal was. It may have been that I was having increased symptoms from the shift in my gut flora (which can happen when you change your diet and/or add digestive aids to your daily routine) or just a simple reaction to a specific supplement. In any case, I have decreased my intake of Betaine HCL. I only take it when I am eating something I suspect will need a little help being broken down instead of with all meals/protein sources. For example, I had ground white turkey with dinner last night. Since I have a history of maldigestion of lean meats, I took 2 Betaine HCL pills. No reflux! It’s good stuff.

-I have gained about 2-3 pounds. I attribute this to get a little carried away with butter (okay, a lot carried away 😉 ) and to a decrease in activity now that winter is here. Back in October, I was still taking the bike trails and making more of an effort to go to the gym. Now that it’s cold and dark outside, I have settled into hibernation mode. Also, I think the nasty bugs in my belly have something to do with it. When people make drastic diet changes, such as cutting out gluten or dairy or (especially) sugar, weight loss is a common (though not guaranteed) occurrence. For me however, nothing changes. A nice reminder that the big bad bugs may still be in charge and that calories do matter. Dammit.

I have been caffeine-free for about 3 weeks. I suspect this has helped relax my muscles and improve my sleep quality. However, it has not helped with the chest discomfort mentioned in my previous post. Yay! Chocolate only hurts me in other ways. 😦 Boo! Now, I have to explore dairy removal. Anecdotally, removing caffeine and dairy from the diet can help with hormonal chest pain.

Cheating? Always…

For the most part, I stayed true to the tenets of the Perfect Health Diet. I ate supplemental foods and shunned all of the foods I was told to (for the first 3 weeks). I never did get around to thawing out any liver. Well, maybe once. I was supposed to eat liver weekly, but I definitely failed at that. I said I’d get there! I got a little carried away with “pleasure” foods at times. I ate more dairy and nuts, for example, than would be considered ideal. I ate more baked goods (even while using PHD friendly starches) than is recommended. I learned that eating dry carbohydrates can contribute to bacterial overgrowth. Grrr! During the past week, I also reintroduced sorghum, which is a gluten-free grain. All grains are meant to be removed while following this approach, but I wanted to use up the gluten-free flour that I had rather than spend more money to purchase isolated tapioca and potato starch products, for example.

What’s Next?

I would like to keep following a similar dietary approach, but I’m sure I will stray from this template, especially as the holiday season approaches. However, I will take the lessons learned with me. I will wear amber tinted glasses before bed (even if I look like a bug that my husband likes to make fun of 🙂 ) , sleep in a dark room, take Betaine HCL as needed, and make more of an effort to swap out horrible foods for bad foods. For example, if I want potato chips I will purchase chips made with avocado or coconut oil. No, this doesn’t make them health food. However, by avoiding traditional potato chips, I will be lowering my exposure to inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids. Every little bit helps! I also plan to use dextrose in lieu of sugar for home baking. Dextrose is pure glucose vs sugar which is half glucose, half fructose (FODMAP!). Does this mean that I can eat a pan of brownies made with dextrose and be healthy?! Of course not, but it means I can eat a pan of brownies and feel less terrible and do less damage than if I had made those brownies with regular sugar. Baby steps…

As much as I love the inconvenience of following a restrictive diet 😉 , I will be focusing on a new approach to healing over the next couple of months. As mentioned in an earlier blog post, I suspect that I have SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth). I came across some research that suggested that people with fibromyalgia often have SIBO and some have even noticed a decrease in symptoms by treating for it. The traditional treatment route is to take antibiotics. However, a cheaper and potentially safer approach is to take herbal antimicrobials. I will be experimenting with an herbal antimicrobial regime over the next couple of weeks to see if it improves my digestion and overall wellbeing. In addition, I will supplement with a new probiotic to replenish the “good” bacteria while the herbs work on wiping out the “bad”. I also want to shift my emphasis toward more light physical activity, such as daily walking & regular yoga (moderate/intense exercise tends to cause fibro flares) & better stress management (specifically, starting the regular practice of meditation). Wish me luck!

I have been following the “Perfect Health Diet” for the past week. My ally (recently diagnosed with Celiac Disease) is joining me again this time. It’s definitely a lot easier to follow a restrictive diet with a partner in crime.

The Perfect Health Diet is a book written by a married couple: Paul Jaminet, once a Harvard astrophysicist and his wife, Shou-Ching Jaminet, a molecular biologist & cancer researcher. Combining their saavy research skills with Paul’s experience overcoming a chronic illness, the following diet was born…

The main idea is to avoid the foods that have been found to be the most toxic to mammals: legumes, sugar, grains, & vegetable oils & to emphasize nourishing foods including “safe” starches, meats, nonstarchy vegetables, & healthy fats. As shown by the picture, pleasure foods are encouraged in small amounts, including full-fat dairy, especially fermented dairy, nuts, dark chocolate, fruit, fructose free sweeteners (such as brown rice syrup, which is mostly glucose), & alcohol. It’s a fairly nonrestrictive approach to healthful eating. There are also chapters dedicated to regulating your circadian rhythm (sleep-wake cycle), healthy exercise, intermittent fasting, & which vitamins & minerals should (& which ones SHOULD NOT) be supplemented for optimal health. For a science nerd/dietitian/chronic illness sufferer such as myself, this book is nothing short of fantastic.

The first couple of days on a new diet are always rough as you try to get into a new rhythm and learn to replace old staples with new staples. On the 2nd day, my sugar cravings were pretty intense. I had heard about supplementing with L-glutamine (an amino acid) supplement to ease sugar cravings and thought it was worth a shot. I took just one pill, and it actually did seem to help. Now, of course this could have been a fluke. I haven’t had any sugar cravings since that day, so there hasn’t been another testing opportunity. I always find letting go of sugar insanely difficult in the beginning but second nature soon after. Eating sugar makes you crave it all the more. Once you mostly (or entirely) cut it out, there isn’t (generally) as much of a pull to consume it. More often than not, it’s an emotional/social void I am trying to fill when I reintroduce sugar after an established period of elimination.

This diet requires a bit more effort than the gluten-free challenge I recently completed. The biggest initial obstacle for me was getting used to the idea of cutting back on sugar (my drug of choice) again. For the most part, I have been trying to keep up with the daily & weekly recommended supplements. It’s expensive to follow a Paleoesque diet (when you insist on buying only the highest quality animal products). Therefore, I have only been supplementing with items that I already had on hand. I have been taking magnesium, vitamin D, and vitamin C daily. The daily recommended supplemental foods I have been eating include 3 egg yolks, a bowl of bone broth, potassium-rich fruits/veggies, and dark chocolate. A daily chocolate recommendation? Who couldn’t love it? Even coffee is allowed on this diet…

Well, unfortunately, I have decided to give up all caffeine for awhile again. This includes dark chocolate. I just ran out of the last of my stash last night, so as of today, I will be embarking on a new self-inflicted caffeine-free hiatus. I don’t do this because I am a masochist, I assure you. 🙂 The reality is that caffeine (even the small amounts found in decaf coffee & dark chocolate) tends to make my fibromyalgia flare up. Sore muscles & foggy brain fuel? No thanks. I am also curious to see if removing caffeine will make my PMS symptoms better (in particular, a new trend of having sore boobs for WEEKS before I get my period. Not cool).

The weekly supplements that I have been taking are: B12 & Zinc, and the weekly supplemental foods: salmon & red palm oil (for vitamin E). I have a huge stash of lamb liver in my freezer (thanks to previous Paleo experiments). I will be adding this next, but I keep “forgetting” to take it of the freezer to thaw. Let’s be honest, liver ain’t that tasty, but it’s incredibly nutritious. I’ll get there.

I have tried intermittent fasting twice since beginning the diet. This means that I go for roughly 16 hours without eating. For example, if I finish eating supper at 7pm the night before, I wouldn’t eat breakfast until 11am the next day. Calorie restriction in lab animals has been linked to longer life spans. The basic premise of intermittent fasting is to reap all of the benefits of calorie restriction without the downfalls (stunted growth, disease vulnerability). Short fasts may actually protect us from intracellular infections.

If this is boring, I’m sorry. If you can’t get enough, read the book!

I have started to notice a trend that certain meats give me reflux. Lean meats in particular, such as poultry & fish, give me indigestion. I know from my own research that most cases of reflux come from situations in which stomach acid is too low (NOT too high as conventional pill pushers insist). As a result, I have also started taking Betaine HCL with pepsin at meals. Hydrochloric acid is the acidic medium in your stomach that allows food to be digested properly. Pepsin is a digestive enzyme designed to break down proteins. For a person such as myself who typically eats a mostly vegetarian diet, it’s quite the shock to your digestive system to start eating a bunch of animal protein at every meal without some extra help. In fact, eating a vegetarian diet (which is low in zinc & high in antinutrients) can even cause low stomach acid. So far, I can definitely tell a difference. However, it’s clear that my digestive system is still getting it all figured out.

I plan to follow this diet for at least a month. I will let you know how it goes.

As per tradition, after following a diet to the letter like a good soldier, it’s time to reward myself for my deprivation. This is what happens when I get a nasty case of the “fuck its”, when the FODMAPS diet and cooking everything from scratch bores me to death, I feel disappointed with the results of my efforts, and my inner rebel comes out screaming. What makes me so angry looking over this naughty snippet from my food diary is that compared to the “average” American, I still eat pretty damn healthy most of the time (except for those times I’m shoveling ice cream down my throat). And yet, for me, the following account tells the tale of an epic fail in the health department for my needy 27 going on 80-year-old body. Enjoy!

Day 1:

(After ending the gluten-free challenge a day early to make my cookie dough cravings shut up!):

Supper: “Creamed Tuna” (condensed mushroom soup mixed with a can of tuna, served over gluten-free chow mein noodles – don’t knock it ’til you try it!), a few baby spinach leaves; 12 oz DQ cookie dough blizzard (diary notes indicated that I had craved ice cream 11 out of the previous 22 days – my addiction alive and well 50% of the time!)

I usually eat organic ice cream with less nasty ingredients. My digestive horrors are always less when I eat that kind of ice cream. So why DQ? #1: Forced portion control – I WILL eat the whole pint of Ben & Jerry’s. I know this ahead of time when I buy it. It’s not about taste. It’s about the drug effect I get from eating it. Whatever amount of ice cream is in front of me, I will consume it regardless of fullness. #2: It’s cheaper. #3: There’s a DQ right down the street from me. I can only find organic cookie dough ice cream at a grocery store that’s way across town. #4: DQ uses soft serve ice cream which means less fat, more air and therefore, fewer calories. #5: A drug is a drug. There’s schwag (low quality) and chronic (top choice) weed, but they both will get you high. Ice cream is no different. As long as there is fat and sugar involved, fo’get ‘bout it.

Lunch: salmon stir fry leftovers – (Started to feel uncharacteristically exhausted towards the end of work – did receive a flu shot the day before which may have been a contributing factor. I have a history of this kind of reaction.)

Supper: zucchini muffin; mini Kit Kat bar; 3 pieces of vegetarian thin crust taco pizza from Godfather’s (black olives, cheddar cheese, taco sauce, lettuce, tomato, onions) – (I felt like garbage after the pizza, which is typical. I actually wanted to get a salad from Qdoba but my husband was sick of burritos and is as addicted to pizza as I am to ice cream. After eating pizza, I often feel like I’m starving (because the meal is so high glycemic) and stuffed (because of all the empty carbs in the crust) at the same time. The flavor of the pizza was not amazing enough to make it worth it for me.

Day 4:

Continued exhaustion, uncharacteristically irritable/crabby, feeling depressed/antisocial – assuming an exaggerated case of PMS thanks to the ice cream. If you want to mess with your hormones, fill up on pounds of sugar and dairy (which is hormone heavy, regardless of whether or not it’s organic)

Slunch: corn on the cob; 1 piece of a Kit Kat bar (gave the other half to my husband – just like the commercials!); medium rare lamb chop with butter lettuce leaves; 12 oz DQ cookie dough blizzard (Ice cream monster back in the hizzzouse!)

Before bed: ½ bag lightly salted Snapea Crisps

Day 5:

Slept poorly

In the words of my good friend when referring to how to proceed once bad food decisions have already been made “Let’s just make it a shitty day!”…

Breakfast: Chocolate raised doughnut with sprinkles (I wanted to have coffee with it, but I was headed to work and apparently none of the coffee shops in my neighborhood like to open before 6:30 on Sundays – #firstworldproblems)

Raw red onions are probably my biggest nemesis. I was feeling extra adventurous and was curious to see how my body would respond, because I’ve done a pretty good job of cutting raw red onions out of my regular diet. I used to eat them EVERY SINGLE DAY on my subs. Yikes! My body responded a little better than usual. I had less brain fog afterwards. Unfortunately, that’s not saying much. My body ached, my eyes burned, I had a noticeable drop in energy, my stomach felt bloated as hell, and I got a headache. I also had facial flushing (the way your face feels when you drink too much wine). I assume the flushing was from the histamine of the pickled veggies (which I normally also avoid – Isn’t my life fun?! You’re jealous, I can tell.)

Slept poorly again, again – 3rd time’s a charm! I think I’ll write a book entitled “Sleeping like Crap for Dummies” in case any of you are missing out on the insomnia fad and want to impress all your friends by getting with the times. Chapters will be dedicated to the following ways you can ruin your sleep: Stress/Anxiety, Poor Eating Habits, Lack of Exercise, Caffeine/Alcohol, Prescription/Natural Drugs/Supplements, Ignoring your circadian rhythm, Following a piss poor sleep schedule, & Hungry Incessant Meowing Cats/Barking Dogs/Crying Babies. The good news is that you don’t have to limit yourself to just one approach! It’s going to be a best seller. I can feel it.

Supper: not sure yet…it depends on how hungry I am after work & whatever sounds good

My intestines have, of course, been up in arms over the past week – horrible bloating, irritable bowel butt syndrome in full swing.

I assume some/all of my recent stint with insomnia can be attributed to blood sugar swings. My body be like Where did all of the glucose go? Panic! We are going to starve to death! Wake her ass up right now! I don’t care if it’s 5:30AM! This is an emergency! I KNOW I have sensitive blood sugar, and when you drink orange juice and eat almost an entire sleeve of refined flour crackers before bed, you’re just asking for it. That’s fair. I am asking for it.

Mind, body…can’t we all just…get along? I occasionally go on these mental vacations where I have to stop caring about how my body will respond to food and just eat whatever sounds good. How’s that turning out for you, you ask? Meh. It is what it is. My body is an annoyingly delicate flower and sometimes eating whatever the hell I want while accepting the consequences is just a part of my life. It’s also a way to measure and appreciate how far I’ve come. Now to get back on track…

I started my gluten free challenge 57 days ago! I spoke with my ally the day after posting my most recent blog post. She was ready to get started right away, so I joined her. We agreed to cut out main sources of gluten rather than attempting the full-blown nit picky approach I dove into the first time. For example, oatmeal (though often contaminated with gluten) could be consumed this time around. This was a welcome challenge for me. This allowed me to be less neurotic about my food choices. I focused on the big picture. If I ate a sandwich, it would be on gluten free bread. If there were pastries around, I would choose fruit instead. This approach would not be practical for a person with celiac disease. A very strict approach is necessary. However, if fructan malabsorption was the main issue, this change would likely be sufficient to relieve symptoms (presuming other fructan sources, such as onion & garlic, are also removed).

My ally ended up following a stricter approach. For example, she swapped out her regular soy sauce with gluten free soy sauce. Remarkably, after cutting out the regular soy sauce, she was able to detect a connection to her symptoms when she decided to test the borders by using the regular soy sauce again. My ally also ended up in the ER with severe abdominal pain after eating Saltine crackers (which she reintroduced just recently). This scare was sufficient to warrant further testing.

She had already received a negative test result after the standard tTG-IgA test. This blood test is estimated to be positive in about 98% of patients with celiac disease who are on a gluten-containing diet. Notice the caveat there. I had also received a negative blood test result when first starting the deep investigation into my tummy troubles. My understanding at the time was that my blood test was negative, so I must be in the clear. Unfortunately, this does not always prove to be the case. I can’t remember if I was eating gluten at the time of my testing, but my ally was definitely not eating enough gluten to trigger a positive result. She rarely ate gluten, because she struggles (as I do) to digest the fructans in wheat. The standard tests used to diagnose celiac disease generally require a person to still be eating gluten at the time of testing to receive an accurate result. Some people have such advanced cases that they will still have a positive blood test even after having cut gluten out for a period of time, but this is the exception and not the rule.

After the ER incident, my ally went through genetic testing. Her detailed history of symptoms combined with the strong genetic link suggested by her test results was significant enough for her doctor to diagnose her with celiac disease. To receive an official diagnosis, you generally have to confirm these results with an endoscopy/biopsy. However, for a person who has already benefited from cutting out gluten, it’s just not worth it to many folks to disregard what they’ve already learned and poison themselves for a few months with further gluten exposure just to be ABSOLUTELY positive that they in fact have full blown celiac disease. She’s opted to avoid the invasive procedure for now and start ridding her environment and diet of all known sources of gluten. She must purchase a new toaster and become EVEN MORE saavy at ingredient analysis.

Of course this means I must follow suit and have further testing done. My gut feeling is that I do not have it but am likely genetically predisposed to developing it. And oh by the way, you can develop celiac disease at any age. Even if you are not born with the disease, it’s no guarantee for life. Her gut feeling was that she had it. It’s always good to listen to your “gut”. The prevalence of celiac disease is estimated to occur in 1 out of every 133 healthy people. My ally is a second degree relative, bumping my risk up to 1 in 39! Yikes!

Have you read Jennifer’s Way yet? It’s a wonderful new memoir about a celebrity who struggles with celiac disease. My ally read it and encouraged me to do the same. My ally saw herself in a lot of Jennifer’s symptoms, which is where the whole gluten-free challenge idea came from.

It’s interesting to note that during the first 2 weeks of this gluten free challenge, I experienced an unusual amount of unprovoked/unexplained anxiety. This was a similar experience noted by the author of Jennifer’s Way when she finally gave gluten the boot. I’m not suggesting that this proves I have celiac’s disease. I just think it’s noteworthy. It seems to at least suggest that my body noticed something was different, and that this change was significant enough to alter my symptoms.

One possibility could be that by cutting out gluten (a huge source of carbohydrates in many people’s diets), the overall carbohydrate load has been reduced enough to upset serotonin balance. A common symptom experienced by newbie low carbers is an increase in anxiety due to this relationship. I may have upped my histamine intake simply by swapping out sandwiches for chili. High histamine levels are correlated with anxiety. Finally, the phenomenon could be explained by some sort of exaggerated healing response by the body. It’s common to feel worse before feeling better as your body tries to sort out what to do with itself now that it doesn’t have gluten to react to.

My ally felt significantly better while following a strict gluten free approach. For me, it was less clear. My stomach seemed to flare up at the start and then normalize more than usual a week or so after. I believe this to make perfect sense whether or not I have celiac disease. Fructans are a FODMAP. I malabsorb fructans. Therefore, removing a large source (wheat) of fructans from my diet was likely to offer some symptom relief.

Oh yea! I forgot to mention that I integrated additional challenges along the way for further clarification. For example, I gave up dairy for 10 days and processed oils, sugar, & caffeine for 7 days. While following a gluten-free, dairy-free, processed oil, sugar, & caffeine free diet, I felt the best. Boo! Of course, right?!

Since 2008, I started having strange tension headaches/migraines. I don’t know what to call them. The gist is that muscle tension will build up in my neck, back, & shoulders and become so horrendous that I am debilitated. I become nauseous & worthless as a human being. The only thing I can do to fix it is go to bed and sleep for several hours straight. As I’ve gotten older, this has progressed to sometimes needing 2 nights of a full night’s sleep before I feel normal again. It’s not a traditional tension headache, because those stem from your head and do not cause nausea. It’s not a traditional migraine, because I don’t get the searing pain on one side of my head or the crazy light sensitivity (hard to tell, because I’m generally pretty light sensitive anyway…). It feels like my whole body is having a migraine. Basically, I’ve claimed it my “weird neck thing”. When I tell my best friend or husband that I’m having my “weird neck thing” they know it’s code for, I may have to leave the party early to barf or go to bed. Tylenol rarely helps, Ibuprofen doesn’t touch it, & massage is often helpful but not enough to keep me going. A muscle relaxer is something that would likely prove effective, but these are only available by prescription, and I haven’t gotten around to asking a doctor about this yet.

There have been blissful periods of time where my “weird neck thing” has disappeared for months at time. During my year as a guinea pig, I had a significant reduction in these episodes. Even now, they occur less often that they used to in their prime. I used to have it just about EVERY weekend! Woo college life! (Sarcasm) Removing gluten has not been sufficient enough to get rid of these bastards. I am almost always visited by these demons around menstruation. However, I happened to be following my super strict approach noted above (no sugar, dairy, etc) during my last period, and my body felt pretty damn good. Not to mention that the symptoms diary I have been keeping over the past 2 months showed a major improvement when I took things further than just removing gluten. My pain, sinuses, anxiety, etc. were all improved when I got serious about cutting out other common offenders. Sigh. We both know what this means…

Another Paleo challenge! My ally has already agreed to undergo a strict Paleo diet with me once she’s done some more research. Her doctor encouraged her to cut out as many potentially harmful foods as possible while her body attempts to heal the damage that’s been done by previous gluten exposure.

This has been the best and most rewarding elimination challenge yet. Because of our efforts, my ally learned that she has a condition in which eating gluten not only causes her stomach to revolt, but can contribute to cancer development and further autoimmune complications down the line. Serious stuff! Knowledge is power, and I’m so grateful to have been a part of this revolution in her life.

Okay, I know what you are thinking. At least, I know what you are thinking if you read most/all of my posts and have gotten a good sense of my neuroses. I thought you were done with diets that cut things out completely, because they turn you into a crazy binge monster! This is very true. However, as you probably already know, I also have food intolerances that interfere with my quality of life. If I think I’ve come up with the next great plan for symptom improvement, you better believe I’ll all in. I do have dreams of seeing a functional medicine practitioner for proper testing BUT I’m broke as a joke. Self experimentation remains my tried and true approach toward healthier living. Here’s 10 reasons why this time will be different:

1. Research suggests that even if it doesn’t fix me immediately, it’s a very good idea for someone with the type of health problems that I have to lose the gluten. Gluten containing grains: wheat, rye, and barley are high in fructans. Whenever I eat wheat, I am either encouraging nasty symptoms or at the very least, lowering my ability to eat healthier higher FODMAP fruits and vegetables, such as cauliflower. When it comes to FODMAPS, the does makes the poison. It’s true I will be depriving myself of seitan for the duration of the experiment. If you are anything like me, you are thinking Who wants to eat that anyway? or maybe even more likely What the hell is seitan? Google it. You’ll see.

2. I am actually going to track specific symptoms to see if there is overall improvement after following the diet. I will follow a reintroduction protocol to properly explore any connections between gluten and my symptoms.

3. Support! My FructMal ally will be doing the experiment along with me! She was my inspiration for this endeavor. 🙂 Having a partner in crime transforms the personal pity party into an intriguing topic of conversation.

4. Specificity – I will only be eliminating one category of food: those containing gluten. Yes, gluten is pervasive in the food supply. However, compared to other elimination diets I have undertaken, this will not be as exhausting. By focusing on one thing, I can better isolate gluten’s specific effects on my body.

5. Length – I will follow the gluten free diet for 60 days rather than 30. Symptoms can take a long time to disappear when they’ve been around for so long. My body needs time to heal the damage I’ve done.

6. I won’t be treating it as a free pass to eat all of the other foods I know make me feel terrible just because they don’t have gluten in them. This was what I did the first time. I was on an elimination diet roller coaster. I ate a lot of sugary gluten free baked goods, because I could according to that month’s existing diet principles. Fructose is one of my worst triggers for feeling like garbage. How was I going to notice whether or not gluten was making any difference while dousing myself in foods my body couldn’t digest? Silly me.

7. I will look for the gray zones. As a perpetual black and white thinker, I’m prone to missing the big picture. When I follow a diet and it doesn’t fix me completely, I’m not satisfied. For example, during my most recent experiment, the autoimmune protocol, my sinuses were a non-issue. This is HUGE considering I struggle with sinus issues on a daily basis. But I was so disappointed that I still had other symptoms, that I didn’t really appreciate its awesomeness the way I should have. If I feel better in any capacity, that’s worth an investigation into whether or not gluten needs to be a part of my life anymore. Why add fuel to the chronic illness fire, eh?

8. I’m not dreading it at all. I only eat gluten a few times a week these days. I don’t expect the deprivation to be that bad. So many of the diets I’ve done have made me feel so sorry for myself. No chocolate? No coffee? No tomatoes? Waaahhh! Wheat tastes good, and it’s convenient, but it’s not my favorite food ever. I can totally do this. I mean, I’ve done it before. Not to mention, I’m kinda loving life right now. A. It’s summer. ‘Nuff said. B. I am working as a clinical dietitian and a nutrition technician per diem. This means I only work a few days a week sometimes, and I get to switch up the things that I do. Not to mention I’m a nutrition nerd, and I get to apply my passion and knowledge at work finally. Woot! When life is good, eating garbage feels less important.

9. Because even if my symptoms remain after this trial, I am still making myself a sexier candidate for autoimmune disease every time I eat gluten. Eating gluten (in EVERYONE) causes intestinal permeability. Intestinal permeability = disease conducive. Period. End of story. I know you like bread. Especially homemade whole wheat bread… fresh out of the oven…with butter…that just melts in your mouth…

Don’t try to change the subject!

10. The placebo effect gets a bad wrap, but it’s actually a fairly badass phenomenon. If I only feel better, because I think it will work, so what? I just want to feel better, even for a couple of months!

I will be starting my gluten free extravaganza within the next couple of weeks (no specific time frame yet). I still need to work out the details with my ally. I’d also like to do some more research and planning before diving in, but it will be happening. I will of course keep you updated.

And, in case you couldn’t already tell, I’m damn excited at the prospect of being a guinea pig again.